All around our house are little pots of cash that I often thinking of raiding then heading down the pub. Unfortunately, they're not mine – they're my children's. Have they been out robbing banks or mugging old ladies?
Nope. They're just obsessive savers. Every penny they get in Christmas or birthday present money from their grandparents goes into these pots, to add to the occasional reward I chuck their way for helping me to empty the dishwasher, and the coins the Tooth Fairy brings for the youngest.
And if it feels like they've got more savings than me, then it turns out I'm right. For according to the latest quarterly Pocket Money Index (PMI), children across the UK are shaping up to be cannier money managers than their parents – saving 11 times more than their mums and dads.
The PMI, from pocket money experts Roosterbank.com, said the average child is only spending a modest 20 per cent of their income and setting aside the remainder for long-term saving goals or to build nest-eggs for the future, whether that's saving for an expensive toy or even university tuition.
In contrast, their parents typically save just 7 per cent of their income and in the last year, one in three saved nothing at all.
According to the Index, a child's tooth earned them an average of £1.70 during the first quarter of 2013, around half of the typical pocket money award given for helping in the garden and over double the value of keeping a bedroom tidy.
The average child banked £23.45 in Christmas cash, £26.39 for birthdays and £8.24 for a good school report.
No special occasions were required for children who stumbled across cash in the home, which averaged out at a rate of £2.67 per treasure trove.
Singing came out on top as the musical achievement most likely to earn pocket money at £1.33 on average per child in the period and the year in between the fifth and sixth birthdays is the most lucrative in terms of pocket money gain, with a 38 per cent leap (from £2.17 avg to £3.01 avg) in just 12 months.
£1.22 is the typical weekly award made to a three year old and the pocket money paydays of choice are Saturday, followed by Friday with only 1 per cent of parents choosing to pay out on a Wednesday and Thursday.
Children who earn pocket money by first accumulating stars on charts can today expect to receive 25 pence for every star when they cash in.
Ben Edwards, CEO of Roosterbank said: "As well as a fun glimpse into the habits of young pocket money earners, the latest Pocket Money Index also supports the idea that a structured pocket money routine, linked to tasks and goals, will result in children having a better appreciation of the value of money and saving.
"A regular pocket money routine not only helps children appreciate the value of money, it also sparks positive family discussions around the subject.
"Pocket money need not be an expensive, time-consuming burden for parents. Small amounts given regularly and managed in a fun, easy way will make a difference to every child's attitude to money."
The Roosterbank Pocket Money Index (PMI) shows the pocket money habits of families across the UK. The Index data is compiled from the activity of 800 Roosterbank users in a pocket money routine between Jan and March 2013. The Index is distributed on a quarterly basis, and measures pocket money averages, spending and saving habits and age and gender breakdowns.